BOTSWANA

COLONISED BY BRITAIN (1885-1966) Botswana’s origins, as a state, go back to the late 1800s, when Britain, as a colonial authority, formed the “Protectorate of Bechuanaland”. A protectorate is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. Britain did this to stop the Voortrekker expansion of Transvaal (Central South Africa) and German expansion from South West Africa (Namibia). In 1966, Bechuanaland got its independence and became known as The Republic of Botswana.

HOW DID CHRISTIANITY GET THERE? Christianity was introduced during the colonial era by missionaries from the south, such as David Livingstone and was established as the official religion of the eight Tswana states by the end of the 19th century.

CHURCH TODAY: Relative stability and religious freedom have led to an open door for the Gospel in Botswana. Even though 65% of the population identifies as Christian, animism and old tribal rituals are often mixed into their faith. This syncretism and early missionaries' failure to contextualise the Gospel to local culture has led to the decline of many strong churches. However, networking between churches and ministries is strong, and the AIDS epidemic offers countless opportunities to tangibly demonstrate the love of Christ and influence the next generation with His Truth. (Botswana has the world's second-highest prevalence of AIDS after Eswatini) The San have suffered the almost complete destruction of their desert-adapted way of life, due to the development of ranching, mining and tourism. There are no longer any purely nomadic San—all are resettled in poverty on the fringes of towns and villages. Response is slow, but several thousand San may now be Christian.

PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for deep healing, repentance, restitution and restoration regarding the wounds caused by colonialism.
• Pray for revival in the Church.
• Pray for African Indigenous Churches to use their strengths to reach out to others with the gospel of Jesus.
• Pray that the strong cooperation and unity that exists amongst churches might yield greater fruit in ministry.
• Pray that the San might be strengthened as they transition to modern life, yet retain their cultural heritage and, above all, find their true identity in Christ.
• Pray that the love and unity of the Church in Botswana will grow.
• Pray that the church of Botswana will fulfil Jesus’ prayer from John 17: to be one with one another and with Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

WEEKLY WORLDWIDE MORAVIAN WATCHWORD

The Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5

PRAYER

Creator God, sometimes we forget that all things are made by You, and that we need to care for it as a precious gift. Show us how to honour and care for Your world; empower us to act for the good of all. May we follow Your lead and love Your creation as much as You do. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.